Taco Bell sales recover in the US after summer cyclospora outbreak

Taco Bell sales in the U.S. are climbing again after a cyclospora outbreak over the summer slowed business.

Taco Bell’s same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, have been outperforming the U.S. fast-food industry since the end of September, according to Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell.

“We are really pleased with the rapid recovery,” CEO Chris Turner told investors Tuesday during a conference call.

In mid-July, federal health officials identified lettuce from Mexico and served at Taco Bell locations in five U.S. states as the source of a widespread outbreak of the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

Yum Brands is based in Louisville, Kentucky.

California supplier Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. The CDC, which recorded two deaths and 12,883 related cases across the U.S., declared the outbreak was over on Sept. 11.

Taco Bell’s U.S. same-store sales fell 4% in the July-September period compared with the previous year, while international sales climbed 5%.

Turner said weekly app-based deals for Taco Bell’s loyalty members helped bring back core users. The chain's value menu also helped, he said, with gas prices in the U.S. still averaging more than $4 per gallon due to the conflict with Iran.